Cold
by Steve Zissou
Summary: It is hot. It's summer and they're both creatures of the winter. Prompt: Darcy has a power and Loki is interested.


_explain explain explain_

__based off a prompt given to me for darcy/loki: darcy has a power and loki is interested. did this on tumblr, posted it over at post/24248438372/darcy-loki-prompt-darcy-has-a-power-and-loki-and

_explain explain explain_

Her skin is about as cold as Alaska and just as white as freshly fallen snow. He thinks it's something strange to see a girl as pale as her these days. Midgardians have an utterly strange fascination with artificially darkening their skin until it looks more like they are somehow related to crocodiles. There is nothing about her skin that looks remotely dry and he very nearly reaches out to ghost his fingertips over her cheek just to make sure.

His hand stills a breath away. Darcy turns her chin away and her breath hitches, just for a moment. Loki's fingers curl inward against his palm and he waits. When she breathes again is when he breathes again. They breathe together.

In. Out.

Slow, slow, slow.

He remembers when she first told him. He suspected for a while but she was never so interesting at first. He had other interests. World domination, revenge, making a rather ridiculous point about how he was worthy of recognition even if it was only to recognize his power and genius. He remembers that there was that lull of time between Thor being allowed to leave with the tesseract and Loki in tow. There were weeks where he was locked away in a tiny room with a tiny bed and his lumbering brother seemed to fill the entire room with his apologies alone.

_I'm sorry I failed you. I'm sorry I wasn't a better brother. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry._

_I'm sorry I let you down._

He remembers how somehow everyone was convinced by Thor alone that Loki wouldn't be a threat. That he was harmless now that the hold on his soul by the devils from space was gone. Now that his entire plan was wrecked and ruined. Everyone was convinced but Nick Fury who kept him locked up and alone save for the girl that was apparently forced to deliver to him food. The girl that knew Thor and made him laugh with utter ease. Made him grin and made him do something silly where he would slap her palm in passing, sometimes both palms.

He remembers she didn't speak to him for two full weeks but then she didn't quite realize she was speaking volumes without uttering a single word. She carried with his tray of food her own liter bottle of water and sometimes she would get up before he was done and refill it, drink it down quicker than he could manage to swallow three bites. Sometimes she would twist her hair and pin it up off her neck and he'd watch her wave her hand at her flushed face like she was enduring a heat wave only she could feel.

And sometimes, after she left, he would touch the glass where she would rest her head to wait for him to be done and it'd be cold, cold, cold.

Three weeks in and finally the silence is broken. He remembers how surly she had been that day and how worse her attitude got when he seemed amused by it.

"How hot is it outside, girl?"

"What?"

"You're drinking more water than usual. It must be scorching hot."

"…shut up."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Shut up, they told me not to listen to you."

"Well, that isn't very nice."

"As if you're the go to guy on what's nice," she had muttered. His smile faded away at that and she seemed vaguely aware that it was possible he had some shred of feelings in him to be hurt. Not that they were but it was interesting to see her feel bad for the comment.

"Sorry."

"Do not be."

It was two days later and he was muzzled. Thor's eyes were terrible. Like oceans and Loki wanted to drown in them. Actually, he just wanted to drown. But then he passed her by and her eyes, just as blue, were like ice. Cold and clear and gods, so damned sharp. He wanted desperately to touch her hand but his were shackled and it was a good thing too. How terribly serious it would have gotten should he step out of line and touch what wasn't his to touch!

Punishment lasted an age, or so it felt. When he had returned to Midgard, though, it was as if no time had passed at all. Everything felt the same. Everything felt static. The only tell of time passing was the way winter cloaked that New York City in white where as before it had just been turning green under spring's careful touch. This wasn't the winter of that year though. It had been two springs since he last visited the realm and brought with him destruction.

Now he had brought with him quiet anguish. He didn't want to be there, didn't Thor know that? But Thor was too busy thinking of his wife to be and the ceremony Midgardians did when they married and how he was supposed to say his vows and how to keep Tony Stark from ruining the wedding by drinking too much and making Jane Foster terribly angry. What was Loki even doing there? Did any of those people welcome him? No one seemed keen on his being part of the ceremony but not even Jane argued with Thor about it. Somehow it was important to Thor and that was enough to Loki, enough for everyone else.

He knew they were watching and waiting though. Had their reservations about the god who once tried to enslave their entire race. He had expected it.

He had not expected to see her again and he had not expected to see her barefoot in the snow that morning before the wedding. Loki remembers when she first told him. and he had suspected before but when she was caught knee deep in the snow and barefoot with nothing on but shorts she can't manage to do anything else but tell him.

"I think I'm a mutant."

"I think you're something but mutant isn't quite the word I'd use."

"Shut up, I mean it."

"I do too. Mutant. Thor spoke of them. What sort of mutant are you?"

"I don't know. The kind that can stand in snow barefoot?"

"That's perhaps the best kind, then."

And he remembers how she gasped when he kicked off his boots and how her cheeks flushed pink when he rolled up the hem of his slacks to his knees so he could join her in the snow. He remembers watching her eyes brighten when his legs turned blue and how she explained this meant they were going to make a really kick ass team when it came to snow ball fights. He remembers his heart feeling oddly light in his chest and how it thrummed like there was a bird caught in his ribcage.

Her skin is about as cold as Alaska and just as white as freshly fallen snow. Loki finally touches her cheek but she stirs from her slumber when he does so and she gazes up at him with those clear blue eyes with such confusion.

"Did I fall asleep? It's hot," she mutters. It is hot. It's summer and they're both creatures of the winter. He slumps down a bit on the bed until he can wrap his arms around her and where this is normally a way of sharing warmth between lovers this is actually how they share something cool and frosty. This is how they beat the heat


End file.
